Means for controlling the operation of gas-retorts.



H. A. CARPENTER 6; A. W. WARNER.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION 02 0A8 nmoms.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1914.

Patented Oct. 8. 1914.

)Q VENTORS I 1 T/m I n {iii-T v UNITED sTATEs PATE T OFFICE.

HENRY A. CARPENTER AND ARTHUR W. WARNER." OF SEWIGKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO RITER-CONLEY MANUFACTURING" COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEWNJERSEY.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF GAS-RETORTE.

Specification of ietterl Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 19.14.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we. Ilnxav A. CARPEN- 'ri-:Rand ARTHUR W. \VARNER, citizens of the United States, residing atSewicklcy, in the county of .Ulegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvtunents iu Means for Controllingthe Operation of (ms-ltetorts, of which the following is aspecification.

'lhose manipulations of gas leaking retorts, such as charging anddischarging, involving the opening and closing of the retort at itsfront and rear ends necessitate cooperation of the attendants atopposite ends of the bench. The manipulations are usually carried out atthe front or charging end, and for charging and discharging which areordinarily accomplished by one and the same inward movement of a scoopor charging tool it is necessary to open or clear the rear end. Underthe present: practice accidents are not uncommon due to the forward orentering movement of the tool before the rear end has been opened, orbefore the rear operative is out of the way, resulting in'damage to theapparatus, or injury to the workman, or both, depending on theconditions existing when a premature operation takes place.

The primary object of the present invention is to forestall accident bycontrolling the retort-entering movement of the tool at both ends of theretort instead of only the front end as heretofore. rendering it.impossible for the tool to advance even though everything is inreadiness at the front end until the operator at the rear end hasactuated a controlling device, movement of which is necessary before thetool can advance. The necessary rear end adjustment may be accomplishedwith the operator out of the range of tho retort before the requisiteadjustments have been made at the front end, in which case the settingof the rear controller will not alone accomplish the forward movement.the mechanism remaining inactive until the front controller is also set.Conversely. the setting.of the front controller will have no effectuntil the rear controller has been set. Thus, the controllers cooperateand are dependent on each other for accomplishing the advancing movementof the too thereby preventing premature operation.

j as here shown, the invention embodies an electric circuitwhiclrcontrols the tool operating motor, with controllers in the circuitat both the charging and discharging ends of the retort, bothcontrollers being necessarily thrown or set before the motor can advancethe tool. Provision is also had for autonuttically releasing thecontrollers so that they may return to normal )osition after the toolhas started on its iorward movement.

The retort entering tool is ordinarily carried by the retort chargingmachine which moves on a track along the front of a bench for operatingon different retorts. and at the rear or discharge end a similarlymovable gas producer char or is employed for delivering coke from tieretorts into gas producers. The retort charger at one side of the beachand producer charger at the opposite side are each motor driven, and afurther purpose of the present invention is to render the motors thereofinope'ative when the controllers above referred to are in set position.This is desirable for the producer charger as thereby after having beenproperly positioned relatively to a retort such position cannot bedisturbed prior to entering the tool in the retort. And with thecontroller in set position at the discharge end of the retort theproducer charger cannot be moved, the operator at such end therebynecessarily knowing that a tool operation is impending and avoidingpremature or untimely movement of the producer charger.

A form of apparatus embodying the invention is illustrateddiagrammatically in the accompanying drawing. Referring thereto, 2designates a bench, and 3 is one of a series of retorts therein which isadapted to open through the front and rear faces of the bench in thecustomary way. Removable closures. not shown, of usual or any preferredconstruction are provided for the front and rear ends of the retort.

4 designates the frame of a retort charging machine which is movablealong the face of the bench on track 5.

Mounted in any suitable manner on the traveling charging machine is acarriage i from which projects a retort charging and discharging scoopor other tool 7. Carriage 6 may be actuated on track 8 by a threadedshaft 9 which extends through a-nut or head 10 onthe carriage, shaftt)being geared at 11- to an electric motor 12. Also geared at 13toshaftfiis a screw shaft 14, rotation of which slides contact bar 15relatively to certain circuit terminals as will be presently explained.An electric motor 16 operates to move the retort charging machine on itstrack I).

.-\t the discharge side of the bench, 17 indicates gas producerssurmounted by track 18 on which moves the producer charging machine 19which may be propelled by an electric motor 20.

The mechanism as here shown is embodied in a three-phase electricsystem, having three conductors A, B and C for the retort :hargin'machine which, respectively, are engaged by the trolleys a, b and 0carried by the latter. Three like conductors A, B and C are,respectively, engaged by trolleys a, b and 0' carried by the producercharger. Conductors A and A, B and B, C and C, are, respectively, pairsor branches of the three main conductors D, I) and F.

(i and G, H and H are two pairs of dummy conductors with those ofeuchiair connected. I Engaging conductors G an H, respectively, are thetrolley contacts 7 and Ii. carried by retort charging machine 4, andsimilar trolley contacts g and it carried by the producer charger 10engage, respectively conductors G and It.

A double or reversing switch directs the current to motor 12, thecurrent for the forward movement bein controlled by solenoid 26 and forthe hue ward movement by solenoid 27. This double solenoid switch is ofusual and well known construction.

The wirin for motor 12 and switch 25 is as follows: Vire 28 from trolleyu loads to switch 25; wire Qt) from trolley b to switch .25; and wire 30from trolley c to motor 12, a branch 30 of wire 30 extending to thecharging machine travel motor 10. The circuit 31 for the forwardsolenoid 26 extends across the traveling contacts h and h tointerruption :12 of controller X carried by the producer charger 1t),and from thence by line 33 to trolley 11'. The other line 34 forsolenoid 26 extends to an interruption 35 on hand switch Z carried bythe charging machine 4, thence to interruption 80 of controller Y alsocarried by said machine, thence to contact arm 37, through contact bar15 to contact arm 38, the latter uniting with line 30 leading totrolleys. Thus it will be seen that to close the circuit through forwardsolenoid 2t), interruptions 82 and 36 located, respectively. at the rearand front. of the retort must be closed. For interruption 32 this isaccomplished by blade 39 of the pivoted arm 40 of controller X, and atthe front. by similar blade 41 of pivoted arm 42 of controller Y. Blade39 is adapted to be held in circuit-closing 'osition against the pull ofspring 43 hyfpivoted latch 44 conneetcd to the core of solenoid 45. Andsimilarly, blade 41 is held in circuit-closing po- -closed by blades 39and 41, respectively, and

with the hand switch Z turned to close interruption 35. the circuit isclosed through forward solenoid 26 and hence. switch 25 is operated toso direct the current to motor 12 as to'aclvance tool 7 into the retort.But this cannot be accomplished until after controller X has beenproperly set at the discharge end of the retort utter the operator hasthat end in readiness, nor can it proceed until controller Y has beenlatched back by the charger operator after everything is in readiness atthe front. or charging end of the retort. Solenoids 45 and 47 operate toautonnitically release the controller arms -t0 and 42, respectively,permitting them to move to the positions shown in the drawing, when thetool 7 has reached the. forward limit of its travel. These solenoids arearranged in two branches at one side 48 of the solenoid operatingcircuit, the branches join ing at 48'. with one branch 49 extendingthrough solenoid 47 and from thence by line 49' to line 2.) leading totrolley b. The other branch 50' extends through the traveling contacts 1and 1 and thence through line 51 and solenoid 45 with the opposite endof the latter connected by line 51 with line 33 leading to trolley I).From junction point 48' circuit -18 extends to the contact 52 which isenga red by bar 15 when in lowermost position, 2. 0., with tool 7 fullyprojected into the retort, and with bar 15 making connection betweencontact 59. and contact arm 38 which is connected by line 30 of trolleyo, the circuit for solenoids 4;) and 47 is energized and the resultingelevation of their cores releases the controller arms 40 and 42, therebyopening the controller circuit at 32 and 36.

The circuit 5:) for the lnieltward or reversing solenoid 27 extends fromthe latter to switch '25, thence by motor circuit line 29 to trolley 72.The line from the opposite end of said solenoid extends to interruption35 of controller Z and thence bv line 50 to contact arm 57 and .to thetraveling bar 15, across the latter and through arm 38 and line 30 totrolley 0. Thus, when pivoted arm Z of hand switch Z is moved to theposition shown in the drawing and bridging mtcrruJtion 35'. the circuitthrough solenoid 2 is closed and switch .25 is operated to reverse motor12 and withdraw tool 7.

in the position of the parts shown in the drawing, tool 7 has completedits forward travel into theretort and is bcingwithdrawn therefrom,contact bar 15 rising from its lowermost position. It'will bcundcrstoodthat the gearing which synchronizes the movement of screwshafts l4 and l) places bar 15 in its lowermost )osition \vhcu tool Thas been fully entere in the retort, at which time the circuit throughsolenoids and 47 is closed as heretofore explained, therebyautomatically releasing the latches -14 and -l and deiinergizing the"forward solenoid 26. v The arrangement is pref erahl y such that thecircuits'for operating the travel meters 16 and 20 are controlled lrvthe controllers X and Y. in such manner that when the latter are latchedhack preparatory to advancing tool 7 into the retort,.neithcr the retortcharging machine nor the producer charger can be moved. The. circuitsfor motors 16 and 20 may be readily traced to their respective trolleycontacts through the two interruptions 58 and 58' at controller Y, andsimilar interruptions as and 50' at controller X the interruptions 58and 58' bcingbridged by arm 42 of controller Y, and the blade (50 of arm40 of controller X similarly l ridgin interruptions 59' and 50'. Thus,while tic travel motors are ino Jerative so long as controllers X and Yare held by the latches, they are each fullyo erative as soon as thearms are released. T ic direction of travel of the retort chargingmachine may he determined by the reversing switch ll. and a similarswitch 69. may be provided for the circuits leading to motor 20 of theproducer charger.

'0 claim:

1. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort adapted tohe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite cud. a tool adaptedto enter the retort, a tool actuating motor, and conjointly operatingmotor controlling devices at opposite ends of the retort.

2. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort adapted tobe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite end. a toolactuating motor, and motor controlling deviccs at opposite ends of theretort and opcrativelv connected to each other and to the motor orconjointly controlling the rctort-cntcring movement of the tool.

il. in gas generating apparatus, the combination ol n retort adapted tobe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite end, a tooliurtuating electric motor, an electric circuit for the motor, andcontrollers for the circuit located at opposite ends of the retort.

4. In gas generating ap iaratus, the combination of a retort ada itod tohe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite end, a toolactuating electric motor, a motor circuit, an electrically operateddevice for opening and closing the motor circuit, a controlling circuitfor actuatingsaid device, and conjointly operating controllers forthecontrolling circuit located at opposite ends of the retort.

13. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort adapted tobe charged at one end and discharged at its op iosite end, a tooladapted to be entered in tie retort, a tool actuating electric motor, acontrolling circuit for the motor extending to and having interruptionsat opposite ends of the retort, and circuit closing devices atoppositeends of the retort and adapted to be separately operated toclose said interruptions.

6.-In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort adapted tobe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite end, a retortchargin machine and a producer charger movalile respectively relativelyto opposite ends of the retort. a retort entering tool and a toolactuating motor mounted on the charging machine, conductors, a motoroperating circuit having travcling contacts for the conductors, a motorcontrolling circuit extending to and having interruptions at the retortcharging machine and producer charger and separately operated CllCllltclosing devices for said intcrru itions 7. a gas generating apparatus,the combination of a retort adapted to he. charged at one end anddischarged at its opposite end, a retort chargin machine and a producercharger mevalile respectively relatively to opposite ends of the retort.traction motors for the charging machine and producer charger.conductors, interrupted circuits for the traction motors havingtraveling contacts for the conductors, a retort entering tool and a toolactuating motor mounted on the charging machine, a controlling circuitfor the tool actuating motor with said circuit extending to and havinginterruptions at the charging machine and producer charger, andcontrolling devices on the charging machine and producer charger,respectively, each controlling device bein common to one of the tractionmotor circuit interruptions and an interruption of said controllingcircuit and with each device adapted in one position to close one ofsaid circuit interruptions and open the other interruption and inanother position adapted to close the previously open interruption andopen the previously closed interruption.

8. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort adapted tobe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite end, a retortentering tool and a tool actuating motor. a circuit for the motorextending to and having interruptions at opposite ends of the retort,controlling devices separately operated to close the circuit,interruptions, and means actuated by the tool motor for causing saidcircuit interruptions to he opened.

9. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort adapted tobe charged at one end and discharged at its opposite end, a retortcharging machine and producer charger movahle res ectively relatively toopposite ends of tlie retort, electric motors for moving the chargingmachine and producer charger and interrupted circuits for said motors, aretort entering tool and a tool actuating motor mounted on the chargingmachine, a controlling circuit for the tool motor with said circuitextending to and interrupted at the charging machine and producercharger, a spring-actuated controller common to an interru tion in thecontrolling circuit and to the interruption in the circuit of the motorfor moving the charging machine and adapted normally to close the lastmentioned circuit interruption and open the controlling circuitinterruption, a spring actuated controller common to an interruption inthe controlling circuit aud to the interruption in the circuit of themotor for moving the roducer charger and adapted normally to e ose thelast mentioned circuit with the interruption in the controlling circuitopen, devices for holding the controllers out of normal osition andclosing the controlling circuit interruptions and with the circuits forthe motors of the charging machine and producer charger open, and meansmade operative by the tool actuating motor for releasin said controllerholding devices.

10. n gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, a tooladapted to enter the retort, a tool actuating motor, a controllingcircuit for the motor extending to and having interruptions at oppositeends of'tho retort, means for moving the tool to and fromretort-entering position, a traction motor for the tool-positioningmeans, a traction motor circuit, a centre ler common to the tractionmotor circuit and to one of the interruptions of the tool-controllingcircuit, and means for closing the other interruption of thetool-controlling circuit.

11. In gas generating apparatus, the combination of a retort, a producercharger and a retort-entering tool located, respectively, at oppositeends of the retort, a tool actuating motor, a controlling circuit forsaid motor extending to and having interruptions at opposite ends of theretort, a traction motor for the roducer charger, a controller common tot 1e traction motor circuit and to one of the interruptions of thetoolcontrolling circuit, and means for closing the other interruption ofthe tool-controlling circuit.

In testimony whereof we atiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY A. CARPENTER. ARTHUR \V. WARNER. Witnesses:

J. M. Nssurr, F. E. GAI'IHER.

Copies of this potent msy be obtained tor flvc oents csoh, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. D. O."

